Today, I receive all God’s love for me. Today, I open myself to the unbounded, limitless, overflowing abundance of God’s Universe. Today, I open myself to your Blessings, healing and miracles.Today, I open myself to God’s Word so that I become more like Jesus Everyday. Today, I proclaim that I’m God’s Beloved, I’m God’s Servant, I’m God’s powerful champion, And because I am blessed, I will bless the world, In Jesus Name, Amen.

Raoul Angelo Atadero wasn’t exactly expecting to top the bar, expected to fail in commercial and mercantile law. When asked what his “secret” was in topping the bar, he replied: “Hard work, prayer and luck. Most important is hard work. You really need to work hard because no amount of prayer or luck will make you pass the bar.”

27 year-old Raoul Angelo Atadero was described by his superiors as quiet and unassuming, but very intelligent and insightful.

The second among four siblings, Atadero is the first lawyer in the family. The family, which hails from Meycauayan, Bulacan province, runs a jewelry and pawnshop business.

Like most other bar exam takers, Atadero had spent much of last year preparing for the grueling November tests conducted at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.

He was glued to law books for up to 14 hours daily between April and November last year.

“I started studying mid-April all the way up to November. I get up at 7 a.m., start studying at 8 a.m. and continue until 9 p.m., including breaks for meals. It’s really pretty standard for bar takers,” Atadero said.